King of the Ring
King of the Ring is a professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by World Wrestling Entertainment. The tournament was held annually from 1985 to 2002, with the exception of 1990 and 1992, and from 1993 to 2002 the tournament was produced as a pay-per-view event. The tournament endured a four year hiatus, until it returned in 2006 and was exclusive to the SmackDown! brand. The tournament returned as an inter-brand event on Raw in both 2008 and 2010. History Although the King of the Ring tournament was first made into a pay-per-view event in 1993, the original King of the Ring tournament was actually held in 1985. Don Muraco was the first King of the Ring in 1985. The second King, Harley Race, is noted for parlaying his King of the Ring victory into his "King of Wrestling" gimmick. Other winners who did the same include Randy Savage ("Macho King") though Savage's "King" gimmick was the result of defeating Jim Duggan for the crown in 1989, who beat Haku ("King Haku" ). Owen Hart ("King of Harts"), Mabel ("King Mabel" ), Booker T ("King Booker"), and most recently William Regal and Sheamus are all wrestlers that took on "King" nicknames after winning King of the Ring tournaments. Pay-per-view The King of the Ring was an event in which typically sixteen wrestlers wrestled in a one-on-one single elimination bracket. When a wrestler wins a match in the bracket, they advance to take on another wrestler that has also won. The final few matches would then take place at that year's King of the Ring event. The winner of the final match is officially crowned the King of the Ring. There were also other matches that took place at the King of the Ring event since it was a traditional three hour pay-per-view. While some believe that the new King of the Ring traditionally receives a WWF/WWE Championship shot at the SummerSlam pay-per-view, this only became an established rule in 2002, for what would become the final King of the Ring tournament for 4 years until SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long brought it back in 2006. Only four kings went on to challenge for the championship at SummerSlam (Owen Hart, Mabel, Kurt Angle, and Brock Lesnar) and only in Lesnar's case was the challenger granted a title shot as a "right" after winning the King of the Ring. More important than an actual title shot was the prestige of winning the tournament itself; in general, the winner of the King of the Ring is a wrestler whom management has picked to advance in the storylines and be the next breakout star. In fact, Steve Austin's famous "Austin 3:16" saying started during a speech made after he became the King of the Ring. A number of wrestlers have had huge successes after winning the tournament (in particular Steve Austin, but also Bret Hart, Kurt Angle, Edge, Triple H, and others), while some wrestlers have admittedly been flops as king (such as Mabel) or received little to no push after winning (such as Billy Gunn), and continued to be treated as lower card wrestlers after winning the tournament, even though Mabel challenged for the World title and Gunn went on to win the Intercontinental Championship a year later. From 1993 to 2002, the King of the Ring was considered the fifth major WWF PPV (alongside the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series). Revival It was announced in April 2006 that the King of the Ring tournament would be returning after its four year hiatus. The 2006 tournament was the first tournament since 1991 that had not been shown on pay-per-view. The 2006 tournament was won by Booker T, who faced Bobby Lashley in the finals at the Judgment Day pay-per-view event. After a brief hiatus in 2007, it was announced on the April 14, 2008 episode of Raw, that the tournament would be held the following week on a special three hour edition of Raw. The King of the Ring returned again on November 29, 2010. King of the Ring event dates and venues Between 1993 and 2002 King of the Ring was produced as a pay-per-view event. Pre pay-per-view event results 1985 The tournament was held on July 8, 1985 at the Sullivan Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The tournament brackets were: |RD2-seed06= |RD2-team06='Jim Brunzell' |RD2-score06=Coin Toss |RD2-seed07= |RD2-team07=Ricky Steamboat |RD2-score07= |RD2-seed08= |RD2-team08='Iron Sheik' |RD2-score08= |RD3-seed01= |RD3-team01='Don Muraco' |RD3-score01= |RD3-seed02= |RD3-team02=Pedro Morales |RD3-score02= |RD3-seed03= |RD3-team03=Jim Brunzell |RD3-score03= |RD3-seed04= |RD3-team04='Iron Sheik' |RD3-score04= |RD4-seed01= |RD4-team01='Don Muraco' |RD4-score01= |RD4-seed02= |RD4-team02=Iron Sheik |RD4-score02= }} 1. Tito Santana fought Jim Brunzell to a draw; Brunzell then won a coin toss to determine who would continue in the tournament. *Hulk Hogan defeated Nikolai Volkoff to retain the WWF Championship **Hogan pinned Volkoff. 1986 The tournament was held on July 14, 1986 at the Sullivan Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The tournament brackets were: |RD1-score14= |RD1-seed15= |RD1-team15= |RD1-score15= |RD1-seed16= |RD1-team16= |RD1-score16= |RD2-seed01= |RD2-team01=Mr. X |RD2-score01= |RD2-seed02= |RD2-team02='Billy Jack Haynes' |RD2-score02= |RD2-seed03= |RD2-team03='Harley Race' |RD2-score03= |RD2-seed04= |RD2-team04=BYE |RD2-score04= |RD2-seed05= |RD2-team05='Nikolai Volkoff' |RD2-score05=Sub |RD2-seed06= |RD2-team06=The Junkyard Dog |RD2-score06= |RD2-seed07= |RD2-team07='Pedro Morales' |RD2-score07= |RD2-seed08= |RD2-team08=Mike Rotundo |RD2-score08= |RD3-seed01= |RD3-team01=Billy Jack Haynes |RD3-score01= |RD3-seed02= |RD3-team02='Harley Race' |RD3-score02=CO |RD3-seed03= |RD3-team03=Nikolai Volkoff |RD3-score03= |RD3-seed04= |RD3-team04='Pedro Morales' |RD3-score04= |RD4-seed01= |RD4-team01='Harley Race' |RD4-score01= |RD4-seed02= |RD4-team02=Pedro Morales |RD4-score02= }} 1. Rudy Diamond was a substitute for Bob Orton. 2. Mr. X was a substitute for Hercules Hernandez. *Bruno Sammartino defeated The Designated Hitman (a substitute for Eddie Andelmann, a local TV/radio personality who refused to wrestle) *The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) defeated The Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) (with Johnny V.) in a steel cage match to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship **Dynamite and Beefcake escaped from the cage first. Smith then escaped the cage to win the match after Valentine had accidentally knocked him out the door. 1987 The tournament was held on September 4, 1987 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The tournament brackets were: 1988 The tournament was held on October 16, 1988 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The tournament brackets were: | RD1-score15=Pin | RD1-seed16= | RD1-team16=Boris Zhukov | RD1-score16=6:27 | RD2-seed01= | RD2-team01=Ken Patera | RD2-score01=Pin | RD2-seed02= | RD2-team02='Ted DiBiase' | RD2-score02=5:42 | RD2-seed03= | RD2-team03='Ron Bass' | RD2-score03=Pin | RD2-seed04= | RD2-team04=Shawn Michaels | RD2-score04=7:39 | RD2-seed05= | RD2-team05=BYE | RD2-score05= | RD2-seed06= | RD2-team06='Randy Savage' | RD2-score06= | RD2-seed07= | RD2-team07='The Red Rooster' | RD2-score07=Sub | RD2-seed08= | RD2-team08=Iron Mike Sharpe | RD2-score08=3:27 | RD3-seed01= | RD3-team01='Ted DiBiase' | RD3-score01=Forfeit | RD3-seed02= | RD3-team02=Ron Bass | RD3-score02= | RD3-seed03= | RD3-team03='Randy Savage' | RD3-score03=Pin | RD3-seed04= | RD3-team04=The Red Rooster | RD3-score04=7:21 | RD4-seed01= | RD4-team01='Ted DiBiase' | RD4-score01=CO | RD4-seed02= | RD4-team02=Randy Savage | RD4-score02=6:11 }} 1. Mike Sharpe substituted for The Warlord. 2. DiBiase paid Bass off to fake an injury.Ted DiBiase: The Million Dollar Man, p.162, Ted DiBiase with Tom Caiazzo, Pocket Books, New York, NY, 2008, ISBN 978-1-4165-5890-3 *Jim Duggan defeated Dino Bravo (with Frenchy Martin) in a flag match 1989 The tournament was held on October 14, 1989 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The tournament brackets were: | RD1-score10= | RD1-seed11= | RD1-team11='Bushwhacker Luke' | RD1-score11= | RD1-seed12= | RD1-team12=Nikolai Volkoff | RD1-score12= | RD1-seed13= | RD1-team13='Jimmy Snuka' | RD1-score13= | RD1-seed14= | RD1-team14=The Barbarian | RD1-score14= | RD1-seed15= | RD1-team15='Haku' | RD1-score15= | RD1-seed16= | RD1-team16=The Red Rooster | RD1-score16= | RD2-seed01= | RD2-team01='Akeem' | RD2-score01= | RD2-seed02= | RD2-team02=BYE | RD2-score02= | RD2-seed03= | RD2-team03=The Warlord | RD2-score03= | RD2-seed04= | RD2-team04='Tito Santana' | RD2-score04= | RD2-seed05= | RD2-team05='Rick Martel' | RD2-score05= | RD2-seed06= | RD2-team06=Bushwhacker Luke | RD2-score06= | RD2-seed07= | RD2-team07='Jimmy Snuka' | RD2-score07= | RD2-seed08= | RD2-team08=Haku | RD2-score08= | RD3-seed01= | RD3-team01=Akeem | RD3-score01= | RD3-seed02= | RD3-team02='Tito Santana' | RD3-score02= | RD3-seed03= | RD3-team03='Rick Martel' | RD3-score03= | RD3-seed04= | RD3-team04=Jimmy Snuka | RD3-score04= | RD4-seed01= | RD4-team01='Tito Santana' | RD4-score01= | RD4-seed02= | RD4-team02=Rick Martel | RD4-score02= }} 1. Bill Woods substituted for Barry Windham. 1991 The tournament was held on September 7, 1991 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The tournament brackets were: | RD1-score09=Sub | RD1-seed10= | RD1-team10='Bret Hart' | RD1-score10=0:33 | RD1-seed11= | RD1-team11='Skinner' | RD1-score11=Pin | RD1-seed12= | RD1-team12=Virgil | RD1-score12=5:02 | RD1-seed13= | RD1-team13='Sid Justice' | RD1-score13=Pin | RD1-seed14= | RD1-team14=The Warlord | RD1-score14=3:23 | RD1-seed15= | RD1-team15=Animal | RD1-score15=Pin | RD1-seed16= | RD1-team16='The Undertaker' | RD1-score16=3:40 | RD2-seed01= | RD2-team01='Jerry Sags' | RD2-score01= | RD2-seed02= | RD2-team02=BYE | RD2-score02= | RD2-seed03= | RD2-team03=Jim Duggan | RD2-score03=Pin | RD2-seed04= | RD2-team04='Irwin R. Schyster' | RD2-score04=3:16 | RD2-seed05= | RD2-team05='Bret Hart' | RD2-score05=Sub | RD2-seed06= | RD2-team06=Skinner | RD2-score06=4:47 | RD2-seed07= | RD2-team07=The Undertaker | RD2-score07=DDQ | RD2-seed08= | RD2-team08=Sid Justice | RD2-score08=4:08 | RD3-seed01= | RD3-team01=Jerry Sags | RD3-score01=Pin | RD3-seed02= | RD3-team02='Irwin R. Schyster' | RD3-score02=1:22 | RD3-seed03= | RD3-team03='Bret Hart' | RD3-score03= | RD3-seed04= | RD3-team04=BYE | RD3-score04= | RD4-seed01= | RD4-team01=Irwin R. Schyster | RD4-score01=Pin | RD4-seed02= | RD4-team02='Bret Hart' | RD4-score02=10:00 }} 1. Pete Doherty substituted for Kerry Von Erich. *The Beverly Brothers defeated The Bushwhackers References External links *WWF King of the Ring History * Category:WWE Events